In Iran, cabinet ministers backed calls to postpone the upcoming parliamentary vote and vowed during an emergency meeting not to hold a "sham election", a government spokesman said Monday.
It is the powerful Guardian Council - not the Cabinet - that has the final say on whether the elections are postponed. However, the government's decision to urge postponement strengthens the hand of those calling for a boycott over mass disqualifications of liberal hopeful candidates.
"An overnight emergency meeting of the Cabinet unanimously agreed to support a call by the Interior Ministry to postpone elections," government spokesman Abdollah Ramezanzadeh said.
The spokesman told The AP that "The Cabinet also agreed not to hold elections that are not competitive, fair and free." (Albawaba.com)
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
